The fog that had blighted us for the last few days had finally lifted as we entered a large fjord that would take us to Klaksvik our next port of call. We should have been docking in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, but excuses and apologies had been made and a new itinerary had been arranged at the last minute…
It was my birthday and due to a late hastily arranged tour I managed to take advantage and do an early morning run around the deck. Good for the soul having successfully added another year to my hitherto exciting and adventurous existence…
I can’t say that I’ve ever been to a land with so many unpronounceable names, and which were even harder to spell, I couldn’t help thinking as I jogged round the deck on an overcast and cool morning, why on earth would anyone want to live in such an inhospitable place. As I ran, the ship slowly eased down the fjord with high mountains on either side and strange round cages floating on the water. These later turned out to be Salmon farms.
By late morning and after a good breakfast we strolled around the upper decks marvelling at the towering cliffs on either side and basking in the warm sunshine. They looked quite climbable, and given the chance, and time, I would have loved to have given it a go.
Don’t forget to get compensation for that missed port OGF. If it’s as a result of technical issues you should get cash back. Don’t let them off the hook.
Meanwhile I’ve decided to solve the world’s energy crisis, we just put you inside one of these and hook it up to the grid !
Imagine if we could just get all the joggers to do this. You could provide electricity for a small town !!
I’m going to send P&O a ‘strongly worded letter’ when I get home Realist…That should do the trick…
The thought of running on a treadmill or one of those contraptions fills me with dread…:shock: I long for the wide open spaces…
Perhaps I could just invest in some solar panels on my roof…
I bet that’s you in the picture Realist…
So because they cut out Dublin we arrived in Cobh early, 2:00pm…And we are staying until tomorrow night when we will sail for Southampton, arriving at the port on Thursday night instead of Friday morning. Nobody leaves the ship until Friday. Some of the passengers can see their houses from the dockside but won’t be allowed to leave…
On the upside, the weather is outstanding in Cobh and we’ve been laid out on the deck all afternoon…Sorry! No naked photos of Mrs Fox and me laid out on a deserted deck because everyone has left the ship…
Nothing much happening on the Oriana overnight with a couple of shows featuring Irish songs and dancers. One show was mediocre but the other was brilliant. Four old guys (Gaels Afloat) whose first concert was aboard the Oriana on her first voyage (1995) and now they were playing on her last voyage…They were accompanied by three young girls doing traditional dances…Very good indeed, and such likeable chaps…
It’s raining as I write this but breakfast is beckoning and a walk into Cobh later when it’s hopefully cleared up.
So it’s all day in Cobh and we should be setting sail for Southampton after tea…
Some material on claiming from P&O for missed port as a result of technical problems:
“The only time P&O will give any compensation is if the stop is prohibited due to something wrong with the ship. We received £100 per passenger when we were on Arcadia several years ago . . .”
“We had £100 OBC because we missed Bora Bora due to propulsion problems”
On a slightly different note, I discovered this section in the P&O contract Ts & Cs about medical insurance:
“32. It is a condition of the Contract that every Guest must have full and valid medical insurance which includes cover for pre-existing medical conditions worldwide, or as a minimum, in the countries that the Guest is due to visit and which must remain in force for the entire duration of the Package. The insurance policy must, as a minimum, include medical and repatriation coverage for not less than £2 million and must include cover for the cost of emergency evacuations from the ship, including but not limited to, evacuations by helicopter.”
http://images.pocruises.com/Global/Legal/POC%20Booking%20Conditions.pdf
I wonder if people have checked their insurance recently to see if it covers this extent of costs. I’ve witnessed 2 helecopter evacs in the past year so I guess this is becoming a preferred method for them.
It did fair up on for a while on Wednesday after breakfast, and it gave us time to have a wander around the shops and a look inside the splendid Cathedral.
While searching for somewhere to have lunch the rain returned with a vengeance so we scuttled back to the ship instead…
Cobh (pronounced ‘Cove’ apparently) was our last port of call and as we enjoyed an evening meal in the restaurant the ship slipped her moorings and set sail for Southampton.
Considering we had been informed of engine problems, the Oriana set a cracking pace of 20 knotts and by morning were just rounding Lands End and entering the channel. While wandering around the ship we noticed a large golden chicken, and a plaque…:shock: It was in fact a Golden Rooster, and had been awarded to the Oriana for being the fastest ship in the P&O fleet every year since her maiden voyage back in 1995.
Thursday evening while enjoying our final evening meal the Oriana left the Solent and began her entry into port. Vibration was so bad in the restaurant that all the cutlery and china on the next unoccupied table fell to the floor, and was hastily removed by the waiters…
We had arrived twelve hours earlier than planned (Allegedly, so that repairs could be made to the engines) but were not allowed to disembark the ship until next morning, our original time…So we spent our last night while the Oriana was tied up alongside her berth in Southampton.
After breakfast on Friday we said goodbye to the Oriana and by 10:00 am were speeding along the M3 heading home. ‘Speeding’ might have been a little optimistic, the motorways were crowded and the journey home took six hours…
It was pure fun traveling along with you OGF, and most thoughtful of you to take the time out of your day to share your photos and experiences. I know this was a special vacation for you and Mrs. Fox, topped with a birthday celebration!
Where are you taking us next?
